A Wolf's Tale
by Jemina
Summary: Lapin learns of a change in his life. AU short story.
1. The Hunt

The Hunt

He breathed deeply, a myriad of scents poured into his lungs with the crisp autumn air. The swamp life. Life and decay, stagnant water, all marsh grasses both sweet and rancid, flowers of various varieties and even pheromones put off by some insects. He breathed deeply and catalogued them all. Identifying the smells by some inherent instinct. Knowing, without knowing how, what was good and what was bad, what would kill him and what would not.

His ears rang with sounds. Chirps and buzzes, wind whistling through reeds, croaks, gurgles and the occasional drip of water. A loon cried and he cocked his head to the side, listening until the last notes faded on the wind. Another took up the call and he turned his attention away. He heard the rustling of rodent in the grass and the crunching of squirrels eating nuts.

Sound and scent more than made up for the lack of color in his vision. His sight was sharp, picking out texture and detail, nearly as clear as night as in the day. But that didn't matter. Sight was secondary; it just kept him from running into things. Scent and sound were primary, painting a picture no human had, or would, ever see.

He inhaled again, and a new scent came on the wind. Sweat and leather, tobacco and spices, and dirt. _Meat._ The thought registered as his heart started pumping faster, preparing for the hunt. His mouth watered, saliva dripping from his mouth, his tong lolling as he breathed deeply again. The scent was intoxicating…human…prey…food.

In the distance he heard someone whistling, steady flow of melody, giving him a steady direction to follow and telling him more then the wind carried scent how far off the food was. The wolf Threw back he head and howled, voicing his pleasure to the full moon and startling the loons into silence. Then he ran.

His paws pounded the earth, splashed through the water and crushed any vegetation he happened to pass over. The scent was strong in his nose and lungs he wanted the meat. Wanted to rip, to tear… to kill. The thought of the feel of flesh being torn between his teeth, of bones cracking and breaking, of someone screaming, sent his blood racing faster and his legs picked up speed as well. He howled again, sending a message to his prey. _ I'm coming for you._ It was close, he could almost feel the heat coming off the body, but there was no fear. The chattel was too stupid to realize it was being hunted, and there was no fear.

His muscles bunched as he leaned back on his hind legs, preparing to spring. When he did he launched himself into the air, claws out and reaching, stretching to the meat that was in front of him. His jaws were wide and gapping, drool dripping from his teeth. He expected contact, expected to taste blood…and he did. His own.

Something cracked down on his head, hard. Snapping his jaws shut over his own tong, and blood flowed in his mouth, coppery and sweet. He landed and crouched, snarling at his supposed victim, still there was no fear.

"S' wha's a nice chiot li'e yo' doin' tryin' to ea' people?" The boy mocked him, laughing as he twirled the long metal stick. He snarled again, baring his teeth at the boy, trying to raise the fear that should have come so readily. When it didn't work he snarled again, before turning and dashing toward the city lights.

"Don' t'ink so" The boy said before something made the ground in front of him explode, he flew backwards.


	2. The Morning After

The Morning After 

The sleeper groaned, waking slowly as if struggling through chilled molasses. His red hair was short, his customary spikes long gone so that his hair was a mess going every which way. His bright blue eyes were hidden beneath closed eyelids and a thin white scar trailed across his left eye diagonally from eyebrow to cheekbone. His pale completion was quickly darkening as the sun rose, blood started its regular flow, and pain receded.

A shaft of sunlight hit his face, searing through his eyelids. He sat up, rubbing his eyes, trying to get the stinging to go away. He blinked and took in his surroundings.

He didn't recognize the despicable building he was in. The place should have been condemned. Dust and dirt coated a floor that was visibly sunken in the center. The paint, or maybe it was wallpaper, was pealing. Spider webs covered the walls and ceilings and stretched between the peelings. The musty smell from molding wood and furniture was overwhelming making him hack and sneeze. He lay in what could be described as a nest of ratty, tattered blankets with a threadbare thin blanket pooling around his waist. It was his only covering. He dropped his face into his hands, rubbing his eyes and tousling his hair even further. _Grea'…now I'm losin' time! _He sighed and rubbed his face again, tying to figure out what he was going to do.

He flinched when something hit him in the face. A pair of pants fell into his lap and he looked up startled. He smiled when he saw who it was. "Bonjour Remy," he said falsely cheerful.

"Lapin, mon ami." Remy's tone was almost dangerous. "Yo' been keepin' secrets."

Lapin shook his head as he pulled on the pants. "Don' know wha' yo'r talkin' bou'."

"S' yo' tellin' Remy yo' don' 'member spendin' all nigh' tryin' t' ge' t' de city an' tear a few people t' shreds?" Lapin stared at his best friend in shock, what the hell was he talking about? "Yo' realy don' 'member bein' a wolf?" Remy asked unbelievingly. "Yo' don' 'member Remy t'rowin' charged rock afte' charged rock a' yo'?"

Lapin shook his head. "No….are yo' tryin' t' tell me da' I'm a werewolf?" Lapin forced a laugh. "Good one Remy, yo' almos' had me goin' fo' a minute dere."

"Remy ain' kiddin'," the other boy said frankly. "Yo' spen' las' nigh' in de swamps tryin' t' ge' t' de city. An' yo' damn near ran me int' de groun' more den once." Remy rolled his neck on his shoulders and Lapin almost flinched at the cracking sound. "I' wasn' a very fun nigh'. So how 'bout yo' star' talkin'?"

Lapin shook his head again. "I really don' know what yo'r talkin' bou'. S' how 'bou' yo' tell me wha' happened…since yo' seem t' know."

The two stared at each other, neither looking away nor even blinking. Finally Remy sighed…and started talking.


End file.
